Brown, Maryland beat UConn, send Huskies to 0-2

Chris Elsberry

Updated 12:54 am, Sunday, September 15, 2013

Maryland head coach Randy Edsall watches his team play against Connecticut during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 in East Hartford, Conn.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Maryland head coach Randy Edsall watches his team play against...

Maryland head coach Randy Edsall watches his team play against Connecticut during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 in East Hartford, Conn.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Maryland head coach Randy Edsall watches his team play against...

Connecticut fans wave foam fingers in the stands during the first half of an NCAA college football game between Connecticut and Maryland at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 in East Hartford, Conn.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Connecticut fans wave foam fingers in the stands during the first...

Maryland head coach Randy Edsall watches his team play against Connecticut during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 in East Hartford, Conn.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Maryland linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil (51) sacks Connecticut quarterback Chandler Whitmer (10) during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 in East Hartford, Conn.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Maryland linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil (51) sacks Connecticut...

Connecticut quarterback Chandler Whitmer (10) looks for a receiver behind the block of tackle Jimmy Bennett (72) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, in East Hartford, Conn.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Connecticut quarterback Chandler Whitmer (10) looks for a receiver...

Connecticut cornerback Taylor Mack (29) celebrates his interception with teammates defensive end Tim Willman (51) and Connecticut linebacker Yawin Smallwood, rear, during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, in East Hartford, Conn.

The Connecticut Huskies run onto the field for an NCAA college football game against Maryland at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013.

Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

The Connecticut Huskies run onto the field for an NCAA college...

Connecticut quarterback Chandler Whitmer (10) looks for a receiver during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Connecticut quarterback Chandler Whitmer (10) looks for a receiver...

Maryland linebacker Cole Farrand (47) breaks up a pass intended for Connecticut tight end Sean McQuillan (49) during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, in East Hartford, Conn.

Connecticut wide receiver Shakim Phillips (8) celebrates a touchdown by running back Lyle McCombs, under the pile, during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, in East Hartford, Conn.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Connecticut wide receiver Shakim Phillips (8) celebrates a...

Maryland head coach Randy Edsall, left, shakes hands with Connecticut head coach Paul Pasqualoni before an NCAA college football game at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, in East Hartford, Conn.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

Maryland head coach Randy Edsall, left, shakes hands with...

Connecticut cornerback Jhavon Williams, left, tackles Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) after a catch during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Rentschler Field, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 in East Hartford, Conn.
Photo: Jessica Hill, AP

EAST HARTFORD -- For 12 seasons, Randy Edsall worked to build the UConn football program into something special. On Saturday night, he returned to his old stomping grounds as the enemy with Maryland and did his best to try to dismantle it.

Led by quarterback C.J. Brown, who accounted for 399 yards of total offense, the Terrapins rolled past the struggling Huskies 32-21 Saturday night before 38,196 at Rentschler Field. Brown passed for 277 yards and rushed for 122 more as Maryland improved to 3-0 -- its best start under Edsall in his three seasons. The Huskies fell to 0-2, its worst opening since 2002, UConn's first year as a full Division I-A program.

"It's frustrating," said UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni, repeating exactly what he said after that 33-18 loss to Towson on August 29. "This was an explosive team we played tonight. We just didn't make enough plays. Maryland made more."

Indeed. Brown scored on a 41-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7, and the senior quarterback was instrumental in giving Maryland the lead just before halftime and making sure the Terps didn't let it go. He completed 15-of-28 passes and rushed 16 times as the Terrapins totaled 501 yards of total offense. Wideout Stefon Diggs caught five passes for 110 yards and a touchdown and tailback Brandon Ross added 95 yards rushing on 18 carries.

"We didn't do a good job with containment and C.J. is very good coming off the run-fake and then throwing it," Pasqualoni said.

One of those fake-run and then throws accounted for 48 yards down to the UConn 3 with just eight seconds left in the half. It led to a Maryland field goal and gave them the lead.

They never let it go.

Edsall coached UConn from 1999-2010 as the Huskies were making the transition to I-A status. During that time, they earned two Big East titles and appeared in five bowl games, including the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day, 2011, against Oklahoma. It was immediately after that game when Edsall, without even telling his players, caught a cross-country flight and took his "dream job" the next day at Maryland.

In his place, UConn hired Pasqualoni, who's struggled in his first two seasons, posting back-to-back 5-7 campaigns. He has posted just 10 wins in his first 26 games as the Huskies' head coach.

The Huskies, who were embarrassed by Towson, now must face No. 11 Michigan, which escaped an upset bid by Akron in Ann Arbor, Mich., and will bring a 3-0 record to Rentschler Field next Saturday night on ABC. Kickoff is at 8 p.m.

While Maryland was balanced on offense, the Huskies were too one-dimensional and that cost them. The run game -- again -- was nearly non-existent with Lyle McCombs managing just 53 yards in 19 carries (2.8-yards per carry), which forced UConn into a pass-heavy second half. And despite Chandler Whitmer's career-high 349 yards passing, he was sacked five times (that's 10 in two games) and was intercepted twice (three for the season).

"It's frustrating, it really is," Pasqualoni said abut the disappointing rushing attack. "We've got to try and get the defensive guys moving back and we haven't been able to get that going."

There were bright spots, though. Shakim Phillips caught 10 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. Deshon Foxx added 63 yards (54 receiving, nine rushing) and Chad Christen made both of his field goal attempts -- giving him 10 consecutive made field goals.

But that was it.

"We're down but we can't stay down. We've got Michigan coming in," Phillips said. "We have to forget about this game and move on and keep working. We've got to have a short-term memory. There were things that we did execute better, but there are still a lot of things that we can do better."

UConn came out with emotion and moved 54 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead on McCombs' first-quarter 5-yard touchdown run. But Maryland went 80 yards in just four plays, capped by Brown's 41-yard TD scamper to tie it early in the second.

Two field goals from Brad Craddock of 29 and 21 yards offset a 33-yarder from Christen to give Maryland a 13-10 halftime lead. But the Terps opened things up with an 86-yard drive, capped by Diggs' 12-yard TD catch from Brown, and a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown from Dexter McDougle in the third quarter to give Maryland a 27-13 cushion heading into the fourth quarter. The Huskies were only able to add another field goal from Christen, this one a 34-yarder.

"They came out fast in the third quarter and a couple of things didn't go our way," cornerback Taylor Mack said. "It's a tough loss but we have to come back for Michigan. We tried to make some adjustments but so did they.

"We have to be more focused. We all have to keep working."

Maryland tacked on a safety and another Braddock field goal in the fourth quarter to make it 32-13 before the Huskies got a 75-yard TD reception from Phillips and a two-point conversion pass to Geremy Davis with 4:26 to play.